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Cornerstone exists because of Jesus. We are a people who have been transformed by the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has forgiven us and adopted us into his family. Now, we have a whole new life.

Through the gospel, God redeems us, forgives us, and adopts us into his family. The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection makes each one of us a new creation and gives us a new identity: children of God. This is why we can never think of the church as an organization or a building. The church is actually a family—God’s family, filled with redeemed sinners that are now his children.

Through the gospel, God forgives us, adopts us into his family, and makes us his disciples. This means that the church is not just any family. We are a family formed by God—and sent out with a purpose.

The church is a family that ministers to one another, cares for one another, and builds one another up. Each member of the family is a child of God who is uniquely gifted to bless the family and to be a light in our city.

Lent Week 2: Peter’s Rebuke

“From that first day, when Jesus had called him and his brother as they fished near the banks of the Sea of Galilee, his life had been turned upside down.”

“As he and Jesus drew away from the rest of the disciples, Peter struggled to keep his voice calm and his eyes blinked away tears.”

As we enter into the Lenten season, we prepare our minds and hearts to observe Jesus’s painful sacrifice on Good Friday and his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. In an effort to more deeply interact with scriptural truths, we are presenting some written historical fiction pieces that correspond to verses traditionally read during these weeks of Lent. These presentations have been created by Cornerstone members with the blessing and consultation of Cornerstone elders.

Our hope is that these written pieces will help you to meditate on the life of Christ as told in scripture, and that leading up to Easter we may all find something beautifully new to appreciate about our Living God, who gave up his very life for us.

The road to Caesarea Philippi was long, and Peter found that as he walked along, he had much to preoccupy him. The things he had seen in the days since he had chosen to follow the Teacher were amazing, beyond comprehension. From that first day, when Jesus had called him and his brother as they fished near the banks of the Sea of Galilee, his life had been turned upside down. They hadn’t even stopped to moor their boats or store their nets… they had just heard the call, and answered. Since then, Peter had seen Jesus feed thousands of hungry people from just a handful of loaves of bread, and had seen a young girl raised from the dead after her father implored Jesus to heal her. Just days ago, in Bethsaida, a blind man had been granted vision by a simple touch from the Teacher’s hands. Now Jesus was taking them to Caesarea Philippi, a place Peter had heard spoken of with disdain by the leaders of the synagogue. It was a pagan city, a place where worshippers of the god Pan engaged in all manner of depravity and sin. Peter knew that he was safe with Jesus, but he still felt uneasy as they made their way along the dusty, rock-filled road.

As they stopped to break bread and rest their weary legs a moment, Jesus began to speak to them of the days to come. Amongst themselves, the disciples wondered what the future held for Jesus, and while some longed for the day when Jesus would lead them in victory against the oppressive rule of the Romans, Peter feared that this gentle and compassionate Teacher whom he loved so well had a different plan in mind. His greatest fears were realized as Jesus began to teach, and to tell them that the Son of Man would suffer and be rejected by the chief priests and scribes. Already Peter had seen how angry Jesus made the temple leaders, and he knew that their wrath would be severe when poured out against Him.

While the other disciples murmured and looked aghast, Jesus explained that He would be killed, and would rise again in three days’ time. At this, Peter’s brother Andrew grew pale and fell silent, and the other disciples began to discuss what Jesus could possibly mean by this declaration.

But Peter could no longer hold his tongue. He gently pressed on Jesus’ arm and whispered, “A word, Teacher?” As he and Jesus drew away from the rest of the disciples, Peter struggled to keep his voice calm and his eyes blinked away tears. “My Lord,” he began, “Surely you do not mean this? You are the Son of God! We have seen what you can do. Death itself cannot defy you… we have seen you heal lepers and raise the dead. There is no power that will be able to conquer you. You cannot die. You must not die. We need you here with us.” As Peter continued to speak, his voice rose and his cheeks flushed. He thought of all that he and his brother had left behind, and despite himself, his anger grew. “Why else did you call us from our nets? What would you have us do if you abandon us like this?”

“Enough.” Jesus’ voice was kind but firm, and Peter immediately felt ashamed. “You are not speaking as yourself, Peter. These are Satan’s words, Satan’s taunts, much as I heard them in the wilderness.” Peter hung his head low, immediately aware of his own selfishness and neediness. The other disciples heard the tone in Jesus’ voice and looked up from their conversation, wondering what this was about. As Jesus continued, Peter felt the weight of His words as if they were being pressed into his heart with stone. “Set your mind on the things of God, Peter, for I will need you in the days to come. The road ahead is not without burden.” With that, Jesus turned to rejoin the others, and Peter was left with nothing to do but follow in His footsteps.

Nicole Austin

Nicole is a member of Cornerstone and serves as a Community Group leader.